Firefighter killed had threatened rape over drug debt, police say

Published: Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 1:54 p.m.

A firefighter from Orange City threatened to rape his eventual killer's girlfriend in exchange for a discount off a drug debt, according to an affidavit from Maine State Police.

The revelations released Friday were added to a probable cause affidavit charging 24-year-old Daniel Porter with murder in the death of Jerry Perdomo, who lived in Orange City and was a Seminole County firefighter. Porter was denied bail after a two-hour hearing held at Waldo County Superior Court in Maine on Thursday.

Investigators say Porter told them that Perdomo came to Maine to collect $3,000 owed to Perdomo, according to the affidavit.

The two were playing pool at Porter's residence in Jackson, Maine, when Perdomo began making threatening statements toward Porter, his family and girlfriend Cheyanne Nowak, "specifically saying that he was going to rape Cheyanne and take $500 off" the debt, the affidavit shows.

Police believe Perdomo, 31, was killed in the Jackson residence as evidence of blood droplets, spatter and a piece of skull or bone were found there, according to the affidavit.

The Maine Chief Medical Examiner later determined Perdomo was shot in the right ear and the bullet exited just below the left ear.

Perdomo's wife, Tonya, reported him missing Feb. 19 and claimed at a news conference he had gone up to Maine to help someone.

But Lisa Gould of Bangor, Maine, who also reported the firefighter missing Feb. 19, told police she was Perdomo's girlfriend and that he had been coming up to Bangor about once a month to transport and sell prescription drugs, the Bangor Daily News reported based on testimony at the bail hearing.

A detective said Perdomo was selling "upwards of maybe 1,500 pills" per month in Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported.

Three days after the shooting, Porter gave Nowak $6,000 to purchase a car. They eventually purchased a vehicle for $8,700, according to the affidavit.

Perdomo's rental car was later found abandoned in a Walmart parking lot. Authorities were able to obtain video surveillance in which they were able to identify Porter as the person who left the vehicle in the parking lot.

Perdomo's body was found Feb. 29 -- a day after Porter was arrested -- wrapped in three blue tarps in a wooded area on property owned by the Porter family, authorities said.

The same day, Porter's father, Gary Porter, turned over a Romanian 7.62 mm semi-automatic assault rifle and two magazines he claimed were used to kill Perdomo, the affidavit shows.

Porter's attorney Jeffrey Silverstein has said he believed his client had no choice but to use deadly force.

The affidavit shows Perdomo and Porter had a history of threatening violence against each other. Porter filed a complaint against Perdomo in January with the Penobscot Sheriff's Office claiming the man threw rocks at the window of his residence in Newburgh, Maine.

During the investigation, Perdomo said Porter had a machine gun and threatened to shoot him and throw him in a wood chipper. Porter claimed Perdomo threatened to cut off his hands and kill him, according to the affidavit.

Though Porter told detectives Perdomo was dead, he refused to give the location of the body and the weapon he used, hoping to "use this information as bargaining chips to get a lesser sentence," according to the affidavit.

Porter later told a Waldo County Jail inmate he was happy with the evidence police have been able to recover, the affidavit shows.

"The cops have enough evidence to make me happy, but not enough to make them happy," he said.

<p><p>A firefighter from Orange City threatened to rape his eventual killer's girlfriend in exchange for a discount off a drug debt, according to an affidavit from Maine State Police. </p></p><p><p>The revelations released Friday were added to a probable cause affidavit charging 24-year-old Daniel Porter with murder in the death of Jerry Perdomo, who lived in Orange City and was a Seminole County firefighter. Porter was denied bail after a two-hour hearing held at Waldo County Superior Court in Maine on Thursday. </p></p><p><p>Investigators say Porter told them that Perdomo came to Maine to collect $3,000 owed to Perdomo, according to the affidavit. </p></p><p><p>The two were playing pool at Porter's residence in Jackson, Maine, when Perdomo began making threatening statements toward Porter, his family and girlfriend Cheyanne Nowak, "specifically saying that he was going to rape Cheyanne and take $500 off" the debt, the affidavit shows. </p></p><p><p>Police believe Perdomo, 31, was killed in the Jackson residence as evidence of blood droplets, spatter and a piece of skull or bone were found there, according to the affidavit. </p></p><p><p>The Maine Chief Medical Examiner later determined Perdomo was shot in the right ear and the bullet exited just below the left ear. </p></p><p><p>Perdomo's wife, Tonya, reported him missing Feb. 19 and claimed at a news conference he had gone up to Maine to help someone. </p></p><p><p>But Lisa Gould of Bangor, Maine, who also reported the firefighter missing Feb. 19, told police she was Perdomo's girlfriend and that he had been coming up to Bangor about once a month to transport and sell prescription drugs, the Bangor Daily News reported based on testimony at the bail hearing. </p></p><p><p>A detective said Perdomo was selling "upwards of maybe 1,500 pills" per month in Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported. </p></p><p><p>Three days after the shooting, Porter gave Nowak $6,000 to purchase a car. They eventually purchased a vehicle for $8,700, according to the affidavit. </p></p><p><p>Perdomo's rental car was later found abandoned in a Walmart parking lot. Authorities were able to obtain video surveillance in which they were able to identify Porter as the person who left the vehicle in the parking lot. </p></p><p><p>Perdomo's body was found Feb. 29 -- a day after Porter was arrested -- wrapped in three blue tarps in a wooded area on property owned by the Porter family, authorities said. </p></p><p><p>The same day, Porter's father, Gary Porter, turned over a Romanian 7.62 mm semi-automatic assault rifle and two magazines he claimed were used to kill Perdomo, the affidavit shows. </p></p><p><p>Porter's attorney Jeffrey Silverstein has said he believed his client had no choice but to use deadly force. </p></p><p><p>The affidavit shows Perdomo and Porter had a history of threatening violence against each other. Porter filed a complaint against Perdomo in January with the Penobscot Sheriff's Office claiming the man threw rocks at the window of his residence in Newburgh, Maine. </p></p><p><p>During the investigation, Perdomo said Porter had a machine gun and threatened to shoot him and throw him in a wood chipper. Porter claimed Perdomo threatened to cut off his hands and kill him, according to the affidavit. </p></p><p><p>Though Porter told detectives Perdomo was dead, he refused to give the location of the body and the weapon he used, hoping to "use this information as bargaining chips to get a lesser sentence," according to the affidavit. </p></p><p><p>Porter later told a Waldo County Jail inmate he was happy with the evidence police have been able to recover, the affidavit shows. </p></p><p><p>"The cops have enough evidence to make me happy, but not enough to make them happy," he said.</p></p><p><p> </p></p><p><p> </p></p><p>-----</p>